


on being a marauder, in spirit and to the letter: a guide to young love, honor, the pursuit of nonsense and other equally noble things

by smartlike



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Hogwarts, M/M, Marauders
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-14
Updated: 2013-09-14
Packaged: 2017-12-26 14:33:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/967076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smartlike/pseuds/smartlike
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The code wasn't a binding document in any legal, Ministry-recognized way-- just a piece of Hogwarts-issue parchment with "On Being A Marauder" printed neatly across the top, a list of codes in haphazard scrawl, and an oath in swirling script at the bottom. But, if any of them broke the promise they were making by signing it, there would most certainly be punishment in store. What the exact punishment would be couldn't quite be predicted in advance-- part of the beauty of the spell, as James explained it, was that the punishment would always fit the crime exactly and it would depend who did what and what he did. Peter still didn't quite understand how that would work and Remus sighed but tried patiently to explain.</p>
            </blockquote>





	on being a marauder, in spirit and to the letter: a guide to young love, honor, the pursuit of nonsense and other equally noble things

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the 2004 Shacking Up SeSa (http://shackinup-sesa.livejournal.com/) run by k.
> 
> Beta by kel.
> 
> Originally posted at http://www.obsessivetendencies.net/am/

Like a lot of other things, it started at dinner, and like even more things, it started with James ranting on about Snape. Remus guessed that there were probably well over a hundred other things that started just the same way, but he didn't have a list, so he didn't know for sure. He was certain, however, that if he did have such a list, most of the things on it would end with one of the four of them in trouble or the hospital wing, or possibly both.

"Great bloody greasy bastard. What does he think he's doing telling the professor that people are skiving off class?" James said about five minutes into the rant. Or, that was what it sounded like he was saying. It was hard for Remus to be sure since everything was being said around a rather large chunk of bread. 

Remus looked from James's open mouth to his own plate and wasn't sure he was hungry anymore.

"I mean, no one expects decency from a Slytherin, but you'd think he'd have enough sense not to get Sirius angry." Crumbs fell from James's mouth and onto the table. "Didn't he learn anything from the pink hair or the stinkweed in his stew or the flies in his trunk?"

"I'd think those things might be exactly why he got Sirius in trouble," Peter said and Remus nodded, wrinkling his nose at the memory of gathering the dead flies and sprinkling them among Snape's things and the smell of the stinkweed that had lingered for weeks after the stew incident. Definitely not hungry.

"What am I in trouble for now?" Sirius slid into his spot next to James and stole a potato off Remus's plate. "Something good, I hope."

Remus pushed his plate toward Sirius, who grinned and tucked into the food, looking to Peter to answer his question. 

"Snape asked after you in Potions and since you hadn't arranged an excuse, and what'shisname, the new professor took five points," Peter explained. 

"Oh, I didn't know Snivellus cared," Sirius looked over his shoulder and waved at Snape who glared. "I'm touched."

"In the head," James said. "Where have you been, anyway? He asked because he knew you didn't have an excuse. He wanted to get you in trouble." James pushed his hair back with his hand. "We lost fifteen points because of you."

"I thought it was five? What else did I do?"

"Fifteen because I had to defend your honor as a Marauder and--

"Oh, is that what you call it?" Remus asked, smirking at Sirius and ignoring James's dirty look. "It looked more like you tried to hex Snape and ended up giving poor Matilda boils on her nose."

Sirius looked down the table where a small Gryffindor girl was hiding behind a sheet of brown hair. He squinted and then turned back. "How can you tell? She looks just like always to me." He looked over at James. "You missed, then? I thought you'd been practicing?"

"I have, but I was--" James slammed his glass of pumpkin juice onto the table. "Not the point! Where were you? Are you planning something without us, because that's definitely against the rules."

Sirius tilted his head to the side. "What rules, James?"

"Yeah," Peter said between bites of an apple, making Remus wonder if anyone learned table manners anymore. "I thought Marauders don't believe in rules."

"Well, not _their_ rules," James said, gesturing towards the Head Table. "But, we have rules." He turned towards Sirius. "And disappearing without reason, to plot things without us is absolutely--"

Sirius interrupted, though, a smile stretching across his face. "Not rules, mate. A tradition. A _code_." The way his lips twitched mischievously made Remus's stomach twist a little and when James's eyes widened in understanding, Remus sighed heavily.

"Wait, what?" Peter asked. 

And that was when it started.

*

They spent the next free afternoon writing the code. Outside, near the lake, because Quidditch didn't start for another two weeks and James didn't think they were spending enough time in the "great outdoors". Peter complained that it was too hot, but Sirius said that they'd be less likely to be overheard outside, so out they went. 

Remus got the task of doing the actual writing, of course, because James's penmanship was atrocious and Peter wrote too slowly and Sirius had to do altogether too much talking to be able to write anything down.

"Besides, Moony," James added, "you like being all covered in ink. It's like we're doing you a favor."

"You always do the writing," Sirius agreed. "Put that on the list."

Remus kicked at Sirius's shin and refused to write that one down. 

"Okay, what've we got?" Sirius flopped back onto the grass and looked up at the sky. "Read it back."

Remus turned the parchment over and cleared his throat. "Loyalty, secrecy, pranks, hatred and torment of Snape-- which, by the way, I'm still not sure is the kind of thing that you want to actually codify in something like this."

"He's not going to change." James tossed a handful of crushed leaves in Remus's direction, but they blew away before reaching him. "Keep on."

Remus rolled his eyes, but went back to the parchment. "Marauders before everyone else. Honesty--"

"Stop, wait." Sirius sat up again. "I'm still not sure about this. I mean, yes, honesty in general I'm all for, but what if there's a reason, what if I have to lie. For a good reason." 

Sirius glanced at Remus, who resisted the urge to say that there was no good reason to lie. As much as he wanted to believe that, he knew better than anyone that it wasn't true. Sirius rubbed at his neck and looked down at where his other hand was splayed on the ground, green blades of grass sticking up between his fingers.

He frowned, thinking. "Is that really dishonesty? We need to figure out how the spell will know when we've really broken a rule and when there were circumstances that required it."

James scrubbed at his hair, leaving a little bit of red foliage behind. "Hmmm... I see what you're saying." He squinted at Sirius. "It could be tricky."

Remus waited for them to figure it out, scanning the parchment and swatting at a fly that landed on his hand.

Sirius and James continued to stare at each other until James smiled and said, "Oh, of course."

"It's about the _spirit_ , not the letter." Sirius replied.

"Exactly." James waved at Remus. "Okay, honesty, got it. Keep going."

Peter looked up at Remus from where he was lying. "They didn't actually have a conversation, did they?"

Remus shrugged. The way James and Sirius talked without words was something he had stopped questioning around the same time they came to him and said, "You don't have to lie to us, you know." He'd realized then that it was just the way they were and it wasn't about leaving the others out at all. Remus didn't understand it, but it didn't bother him, either.

"Be true to the most noble house of Gryffindor," he read, and continued with the rest of the true Marauder qualities they'd compiled. When he finished, both James and Sirius nodded. 

"Brilliant," James said and Peter smiled broadly, nodding so that his blond hair fluttered in the wind.

Sirius stood up. "Now, for the spells."

*

The code wasn't a binding document in any legal, Ministry-recognized way-- just a piece of Hogwarts-issue parchment with "On Being A Marauder" printed neatly across the top, a list of codes in haphazard scrawl, and an oath in swirling script at the bottom. But, if any of them broke the promise they were making by signing it, there would most certainly be punishment in store. What the exact punishment would be couldn't quite be predicted in advance-- part of the beauty of the spell, as James explained it, was that the punishment would always fit the crime exactly and it would depend who did what and what he did. Peter still didn't quite understand how that would work and Remus sighed but tried patiently to explain. 

"When we did the spell, we each put some of ourselves in it, you remember?" Peter nodded and Remus smiled encouragingly. "Right, so if you betray Sirius--"

"I wouldn't!" Peter says.

"Bloody right you wouldn't," Sirius agreed, looking up from the scrap of parchment he was writing on.

This time Remus ignored the urge to sigh, just said, "No, of course not. Just, hypothetically." Peter looked like he was going to interrupt again, so Remus held up a finger to shush him. "So, in that absolutely unlikely hypothetical scenario, the spell would make it so you'd be punished in some suitably Sirius sort of way. You understand?"

"But I don't see ho--" Peter started, but James was rolling his eyes and Peter noticed, so he nodded. "Oh, yeah, great. I see now."

Later, when the four of them start on the Marauder's Map, they'll find that it won't work the way they want it to until they remember the spell they'd learned for the code and put bits of their personalities into the Map. Then, it'll be the key to the ultimate Marauder achievement, but at this point in fifth year, it's just something James read in a book about binding charms that he stole from Lily's chair in the Common Room.

"So then, the spell's sorted. Once we sign this we agree to follow the Marauders' Code to the end of our days and never betray one another." Sirius paused for dramatic effect, staring at Remus, who rolled his eyes. Sirius just grinned. "If you break the code, punishment will be swift and severe."

Everyone nodded, James laughing nervously and Peter darting his eyes around the circle to look at everyone in turn. Sirius kept staring until Remus felt slightly warm and very flustered and had to look away. He swallowed air and coughed a little. When he looked back at Sirius, he had turned his attention to the Code sitting on the floor of the Shack.

Sirius dipped his quill in the spelled ink and bent to write his name. Quick letters, perfect and looping across the parchment. He appraised it and nodded, turning to hand the quill to Remus. He just stared and didn't reach for the quill right away. He'd expected Sirius to pass it to James and it took Remus a minute to understand that he was meant to take it. 

"Moony," Sirius said and pushed the quill forward. "You're not backing out are you?"

"No, I--" Remus reached for the quill, his fingers brushing over Sirius's. He didn't finish his sentence, just leaned over to write. Careful and smooth, leaving a crisp, clean signature tucked just below Sirius's sprawling one. Remus felt something click into place and smiled at Sirius before handing the quill to Peter. 

It occurred to Remus then, Sirius's smile bright in the dim space and James and Peter somewhere just out of Remus's line of sight and almost blurry, that maybe Remus was just as clueless as Peter when it came to understanding exactly what was starting here.

*

"James Potter, where is my Charms book?" Lily's face was only a few shades lighter than her hair. "I know you took it."

James looked up, eyes wide and a small smile playing at the corner of his mouth. "Evans, I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about."

"It's true, Lil. You must know that Potter here can't even read," Sirius added helpfully.

Lily stared at them for another few seconds before turning to Remus. "My book?"

Remus knew the book was upstairs underneath James's _Quidditch Week_ and a sandwich left over from lunch two days ago. There might be mold on it by now. The house elves had stopped coming to their room in protest after Sirius spelled his dirty robes to transfigure into rather angry birds once they were brought down to the laundry. Remus opened his mouth to tell Lily he'd get her book, but Sirius kicked him under the table. 

"Code," he mouthed and Remus sighed.

"Sorry, Lily," he said. He felt bad lying to Lily, who had more sense than most of the girls in their year, but there was the Code and Remus knew he'd feel worse if he wound up with a case of itching pox like Peter'd had last week when he'd accidentally let it slip to McGonagall that Sirius had been the one who put a dung bomb in Filch's mop bucket.

Lily put her hands on her hips. "I thought you knew better, Remus, but you're all the same." She turned around and headed out of the Common Room. "Pathetic," she said loudly before disappearing up the stairs.

"Oh, Remus, you must be so disappointed. Evans thinks you're just as bad as us." Sirius poked his foot into Remus's leg.

"She's kind of pretty when she's angry, yeah?" James asked, still staring at the entrance to the girls' stairs.

No one answered him. Remus just kicked Sirius back and Sirius did the same until they were engaged in an all out battle, Sirius knocking over Remus's chair and pushing him to the floor where he sat on Remus's thighs until he said "Sirius Black is the best of all of us". 

Sirius raised his arms in triumph and Remus took advantage, wrapped his hands over Sirius's ribs, turned him over and shoved him to the floor.

Sirius blinked up at Remus, face red from exertion and then stood quickly, muttering something about work as he went upstairs. When the rest of them came up a bit later, Sirius was hidden in his bed, curtains pulled. 

Remus examined the bruises scattered over his legs, pressing them a little bit and wincing at the pain. He didn't worry about what Sirius was dong at all, just listened to James talk about Lily's green eyes until it was time to go to bed and wondered if lying to himself could be punished under the Code.

*

Remus marked the last of a stack of first year transfiguration essays and looked up. "I'm finished."

McGonagall looked up from her desk and waved Remus toward her. She quickly reviewed the stack of essays and nodded. "Thank you Mister Lupin. And perhaps you'll consider telling the truth next time we have an accident of this type." She frowned. "If I were truly lucky, of course, we wouldn't have another accident of this type at all, but somehow I doubt I should count on that."

Remus didn't respond, just breathed in and out and waited to be dismissed. The detention hadn't been that bad, really, just marking papers, but he had a lot of homework of his own and now he'd be up all night. James and Sirius had somehow managed to get away without any detention at all and Remus knew they had no intention of doing their Potions essays anyway. Remus cursed the bloody Code, but knew that he wouldn't have given them up to McGonagall anyway. Besides, it's not as though Remus hadn't thought that changing Lucille's tea cup into a talking spider was rather funny, too.

McGonagall seemed to realize she wasn't going to get an answer. "All right then. You're dismissed."

"Good night, Professor." Remus left the room and walked quickly towards the Gryffindor dormitory. He was turning a corner in a section that wasn't used for much of anything this year when he heard a familiar voice from an empty classroom.

"You expect me to help you?" Snape asked, voice dripping with scorn. "Come now, I think you know me better than that."

Remus rolled his eyes and knew he should keep moving before Snape came out, saw Remus and landed them both in more trouble, but something made Remus wait. There were only a few people who brought out that particular tone of disdain in Snape's voice, after all, and Remus had a vested interest in most of them. 

And indeed, it was Sirius that replied to Snape's comment. "I prefer to think I don't know you at all, Snivellus." Sirius's voice was arrogant and Remus recognized the danger under the laughter.

"And I'm glad to see you're not trying to get in my good graces. Clearly you have no problem with me telling Dumbledore what you've asked me to do." There was a pause and Remus inched closer to the open door. "Or, perhaps Potter?"

Sirius scoffed. "Because James would be so willing to believe you over me."

"Point." Remus could see Snape now and he bit his lip and then smiled slow and slick. "Lupin, then?"

There was a long silence. "Wanker." 

Remus couldn't see Sirius, but he could tell from his voice that he was pouting. Somehow Remus didn't think Snape would find it as charming as everyone else seemed to. Remus wondered briefly at the fact that in Sirius thought Remus would believe Snape rather than Sirius. He wasn't sure what that meant exactly, but it made the back of his throat taste sour the way it did for days after the full moon.

Snape laughed again and Remus really did hate that sound. "Well, apparently even Sirius Black has a weak spot. Such a surprise." Snape crossed his arms over his chest. "Or, perhaps I should have know. So, then, I tell Lupin, or--?"

Snape left the question hanging in another long silence and then Sirius said, "Fine, fine. I'll do it. But you'll help me. And you're not to say a word to anyone."

Sirius nodded. "And you aren't to fake sick or actually make yourself sick or whatever it is you lot do. You have to show up and play and throw the game. Gryffindor has to lose and it has to be your fault." 

Remus decided he must be misunderstanding. He moved even closer to the door until he could just see the side of Sirius's face, his hair hanging into his eyes. Sirius was leaning against a table where a cauldron sat surrounded by various herbs and books. He stared at the floor and then nodded. "Deal."

The sour taste filled Remus's mouth until he felt like he was going to throw up. He swallowed thickly and turned, breaking into a run as soon as he was away from the classroom.

*

There were three days until the first Quidditch match of the year and one of them was the full moon. After the incident in the hallway, Remus watched Sirius closely, wondering if maybe he'd been confused or dreaming the other evening. But, Sirius was spending a lot of time away from the group and collecting scraps of parchment with what looked like notes on them. Most worrisome, Remus swore he'd even seen Sirius lurking in the library yesterday when everyone else had been outside watching Bellatrix demonstrate her new broom. He was almost starting to wonder if Snape had put some sort of spell on Sirius.

The afternoon of the full moon, Remus was feeling tense and exhausted for more than the usual reasons. He stayed behind in the Charms classroom, pretending to be fussing with his quills before following after Sirius a few moments later.

"Oi, Black!" Kingsley pushed past Sirius in the hallway. "Watch where you're going."

Sirius rubbed his shoulder where he'd been shoved into the wall, but didn't look up from the book he was reading, just muttered, "Wanker."

Remus was a few steps behind, trying to read over Sirius's shoulder, but he couldn't make out any of the words. The writing was small and tight, and there was a lot of smeared ink. 

"All right, Moony?" James clapped his hand on Remus's back and grinned. Ahead of them Sirius jumped and turned, looking worried as he closed the book and stuffed it inside his robes. "You're good for tonight, then?"

Peter coughed loudly. "James!"

James looked sheepish. "I mean, um, you know with your mum being sick and all. So, will you uh, be fine getting um--"

Sirius rolled his eyes at James and exhaled loudly. "I think what the bloody fool is asking is if you're all set to get home safe."

Remus sighed. Sometimes he wondered if it wouldn't have been easier to keep his secret without his friends' fumbling concern. "Fine." He answered. But, he didn't keep secrets from the others. Unlike some people, Remus thought, glancing at where Sirius had stashed the book.

Sirius seemed to know what Remus was looking at and covered his torso with the Charms book and bunch of parchment he was holding. "Good then, I'd best be off. I've got to finish this Transfiguration essay."

Sirius took off down the hallway, dodging a clump of second year Hufflepuff girls who giggled and batted their eyes as he passed. Remus stared after him, frowning.

"What's he on about? McGonagall didn't set an essay." James turned to Remus. "She didn't, right?"

"No." James was right, there was no essay. "I don't know where he's going."

Peter looked down the corridor where Sirius had been. "Is he up to something, then?"

Remus shrugged. "Perhaps." James frowned at him, but Remus didn't have an answer, so just said, "I need to get to-- Home. I need to get home." Remus shoved his books at Peter, who nodded and added them to his own stack. Remus headed towards the infirmary, wishing more than ever that he didn't have to deal with his transformation.

*

Morning and Remus blinked awake and licked at his lips. His mouth felt like it was packed with cotton and when he flexed his fingers, there was a shooting pain up his arm.

"Don't," someone said and it took Remus a second to realize it was Sirius. "You broke your arm." There was a light hum in the air and Remus wondered what it was. "Madame Pomfrey's working on mending it, but it'll take a few hours and you shouldn't move it."

Remus nodded, staring up at the ceiling. The light filtering in from the large windows was barely still pink and Remus hadn't known Sirius even knew that day started this early. "You're up," he said even though it probably didn't make sense outside his own head.

"Quidditch practice in an hour so I figured I'd come and check on you." There was a breath of air next to him and Sirius's face appeared between Remus and the ceiling. His forehead was covered with huge orange dots. Remus's eyes opened wide. Sirius laughed. "Nice, huh?"

Remus coughed a little and then, "You broke the Code." 

In theory there could be other explanations, a hex gone wrong, an angry Slytherin, but Sirius didn't look surprised. He just nodded, hair slipping out from behind his ear. "You don't even want to see what the spots look like in other places." He grinned ruefully. "Pink, Remus. There's pink spots in places well-bred wizards don't talk about in public."

"I can't believe--" Remus stopped, not wanting to say it aloud. But Sirius was already in trouble and maybe he could still be stopped. "What could be worth throwing the match?"

Sirius blinked then, confused. "Wait, what?" He sounded like Peter and Remus couldn't help a hint of a smile. "How do you--?"

"I overheard you and Snape." Remus looked to the window-- he didn't want to see Sirius's face. Sirius laughed again, a short sharp sound this time and Remus turned back. "It's funny, is it? You went to Snape for help, you thought we-- no, _I'd_ trust him over you and you agreed to lose the first Quidditch match of the year and you're going to tell me it's all a joke?" Remus sounded angry, but he almost wished that it really was just a laugh, something Sirius had cooked up to make them all feel like fools.

But Sirius shook his head. "No. Definitely not a joke." Remus waited for Sirius to keep talking, but he stared out the window and didn't say anything. Remus shifted slightly closer to the edge of the bed and there was another streak of pain for his effort.

"Well? The Code was your bloody idea, Sirius."

Sirius nodded. "I thought Snape could help."

"What could Snape help with that we couldn't?" As Remus said it, he realized that was the real issue and that he meant "I" again rather than "we." He closed his eyes and tried to figure out what this was all about.

Sirius breathed out, loud in the quiet room and Remus didn't look. There was the faint red glow of an after-image on the inside of his eyelids, something that could be the sun or maybe just the idea of Sirius's face. Remus thought he felt something touch his hand, but then it was gone. 

"I'm not going to throw the game," Sirius finally said. It wasn't the answer to Remus's question, but it made him open his eyes anyway. Sirius was looking back at him. "I never was, really. So, I guess we're even on the not trusting each other thing."

Remus opened his mouth and then closed it. He wanted to be able to say that he'd never really thought it, but he had, he'd believed that Sirius could want something that badly. He just hadn't been able to figure out what. Finally he said, "But the spots."

Sirius held up his hand, which had enough green blotches that it looked like a leaf of some kind. "Lying. Apparently even in spirit and not just to the letter."

Remus tried to sit up, but when he went to push with his right hand he inhaled with pain and collapsed back to the bed. "Ow, fuck."

Sirius pressed his hand to Remus's chest. "You're not supposed to."

Remus shrugged one shoulder and nodded. Sirius didn't move his hand and Remus was warm underneath his torn shirt. He looked at the green and then up at Sirius's spotted face. It was a rather tame punishment for something as serious as lying to a Marauder. Nothing up to James's usual style.

Remus swallowed. "Who did you lie to?"

Sirius raised his eyebrows. "You're a smart lad, you figure it out."

Remus wished desperately for a glass of water. "If you weren't going to throw the match, what were you lying about then? And why did you need Snape?" Sirius looked towards the window. Remus smiled a little. "If you tell me, I'd wager the spots will clear up."

That earned Remus a small laugh. "I imagine you'd be right." Sirius's face clouded again. "I was researching cures."

Remus's eyes widened, "For--" and then narrowed, "Wait, you didn't--?"

Sirius shook his head, quickly back and forth. "I'd never. He thought it was for a prank or a killing spree or whatever else he thinks we do in our spare time."

Remus relaxed a little, then shook his head against the pillow. "But why'd you lie? There isn't a cure, but if you'd wanted to research it, I wouldn't have cared. It's thoughtful of you, even. And it explains why you were in the library so much."

Sirius sighed. "You are terribly thick, aren't you Moony?" Sirius looked down at Remus. "I wanted to find it for you. I wanted to give you something that no one else could. So that you'd like me."

Remus's stomach flopped and not from the pain in his arm, but he had to be hearing wrong. "I already like you, Sirius. What are you--"

"Remus, not 'like' me. You know--" Sirius looked at the wall just above Remus's head. " _Like_ me."

"Oh." Remus stared at Sirius's hand and watched as the green began to fade.

"Yes. 'Oh.' That's it exactly." Sirius finally lifted his hand from Remus's chest and started to back away. Remus moved quickly, ignoring that it hurt to move his arm still, and grabbed Sirius's hand before he could pull away entirely.

"No. Not, 'oh.' _Oh_." Remus smirked up at Sirius who blinked so quickly that Remus half-expected him to drop a letter and then take off out the window. "I think perhaps we're both pretty thick." He smiled wider. "Though, you're definitely thicker."

Sirius looked down, staring at Remus's hand wrapped around Sirius's own. Remus held on tightly, waiting. The pain in his arm was starting to become unbearable, but he wasn't going to move. This made no sense, but Sirius's spots were fading and Remus felt absolutely certain in a way he never had before, so maybe Remus just had no idea what sense was supposed to be made of anyway. Besides, nothing Marauders did had ever made sense before and Remus could see no reason to start now. He might actually suggest they add it to the Code, "the continued pursuit of nonsense in search of a higher truth." Or something equally noble.

Remus moved his hand a little and he must have winced visibly because Sirius finally looked up again. "Your arm." He carefully helped put Remus's injured limb back down on the bed and then held up his own hand. "No more spots," he said.

"No. No more spots." Remus waited, wished he could sit up, but then Sirius was leaning down and pressing his lips against Remus's and there was no need to move at all. 

Sirius's lips were dry and Remus had only ever kissed one other person before, so he wasn't sure what to do. He decided just to press back and wait, smiling a bit against Sirius's mouth. Sirius licked at Remus's lips and it was better than any glass of water. Remus opened his mouth as if to say so, but was stopped when Sirius pressed inside. Remus tasted tea and marmalade, and he was thinking about how he could angle himself to pull Sirius closer without dislodging his broken arm when there was a shout from somewhere over Sirius's shoulder.

"Black, what the bloody hell is going on? I just heard Snivellus telling Nott some filthy lie about convining you to throw the--" James stopped mid-rant and Remus took a breath from Sirius's mouth before he pulled away.

"Oh sod off Potter," Sirius whispered, resting his head against Remus's forehead.

Remus peeked around Sirius's head to see James still standing where he must have stopped about two yards away from Remus's bed. He was gaping, hair askew like always and his Quidditch robes hanging open.

"This is not my fault," Remus said and Sirius rolled his eyes and swatted at Remus's face as he stood up. The cold air rushed between them, but Sirius left his hand on Remus's shoulder, so that was okay.

James stared at Remus and then turned to Sirius, eyes narrowing. "You bloody--" He closed his mouth again, then inhaled. "We have a Code you git and you're doing," James waved his hand to indicate Remus, the bed, the everything and Remus felt himself blush. "You're doing _this_ and I'm left talking to that great greasy git, defending your honor as a Marauder and you don't even have the decency to tell me something about it? Who the hell do you think I am, bloody _Peter_?"

There was a squeak from behind James and Remus turned his head to smile at Peter. He only half listened to the rest of James's rant, focusing instead on the weight of Sirius's hand and the way the pain in his arm was slowly fading away. James continued to shout, with Sirius interrupting now and then, protesting and laughing. He rested against the bed, hip pressing into Remus's side and Remus laughed too.

*

Back in the dormitory and Remus was on strict orders not to go to the match as his arm still wasn't healed fully and because Pomfrey didn't "trust you boys to be careful." She'd come back to the infirmary to find a red-faced James still shouting and scolded Remus in his choice of friends as she wrapped the bandage just a little too tight over his elbow. Remus figured she was probably right, but he still would have liked to see his ill-chosen friends play. Instead, he was in his pajamas watching Sirius get ready to go down to the field. James and Peter had already gone.

"So, how long do you think 'til this goes away?" Sirius adjusted his Quidditch robes and turned to look into the mirror on the wall behind him. The words "Potter is King" were scrawled across his forehead in bright pink letters. As they watched, the letters changed to green and rearranged themselves to say "I'm an Insufferable Git". 

Remus laughed and stood up from his bed. He moved to where Sirius stood and hooked his chin over Sirius's shoulder. "I'd get used to them, mate."

"I don't know why I got the spots first instead of this mess. I was lying to James all along, too, if we're going to be technical about it." Sirius was pouting and poking at the letters on his skin.

Remus pulled Sirius's hand away. "Spirit versus letter and all that nonsense?" 

"Bloody Code," Sirius said, sighing. "I guess it was worth it, though." He smiled, turned his head and pressed a kiss to Remus's cheek. 

Remus murmured his agreement and moved around to stand next to Sirius. "I guess it was."

In the mirror, the marks on Sirius's face changed again-- blue letters spelling out "Black's a Lying Tosser"-- but Sirius wasn't looking anymore and Remus was close enough to Sirius's face that the words were just a blue blur.


End file.
